Aiden & Ariel

by Ellie Masters

  “I found my forever. Mrs. Ariel Cole, you’re my one, my forever, and I’m never letting you go.”

  She breathed out a sigh. “There was a time something like that would have sent me running for the hills…”

  “And now?”

  “And now?” She let the moment stretch between them, feeling the strength of their love.

  “Yes?”

  “Now, I’m wondering about all kinds of things.”

  “Such as?” He rocked his hard body against hers, showing her how eager he was to leave the festivities.

  “Such as that swat jar you have in mind.”

  He stumbled, bringing their dance to a halt. “Don’t tease me.”

  “I’ve had time to think.”

  “And?”

  “I’m forever and always yours.”

  She spoke the truth, cementing her promise in his arms. She belonged to him, and him to her. All the rest, they would figure out together. The future belonged solely to them. Forever and always.

  THE END

  If you enjoyed Aiden & Ariel’s story, we think you’ll love reading about the woman who fished Aiden out of the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Julian tossed him about for two weeks.

  You can grab Brie’s story, (Brent & Brie)

  Just click HERE.

  You can also skip to the back of this book and read a sneak peak of the first two chapters of Brent & Brie’s story.

  And of course, if you enjoyed Aiden & Ariel’s story, we’d love to hear what you thought. You can leave your thoughts on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Bookbub. A sentence is all it takes and we certainly appreciate every word!

  Final Thoughts Jet&Ellie

  We hope you enjoyed this book as much as we enjoyed writing it. If you enjoyed reading this story, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Bookbub, and please let other people know. A sentence is all it takes, but a book lives or dies based upon its reviews. Friend recommendations are the strongest catalyst for readers’ purchase decisions! We’d love to be able to continue bringing you more love stories, so please tell your friends about this series.

  If you really want them to read it, gift it to them. If you prefer digital friends, please use the “Recommend” feature of Goodreads to spread the word.

  Please check out Ellie’s other books. If you enjoyed The One I Want series, you’re sure to enjoy her other works. There’s a little bit for everyone, from sweet to steamy, to dark and suspenseful.

  Or visit her blog https://elliemasters.com/, where you can find out more about her writing process and ours.

  Come visit The EDGE: Dark Discussions where you’ll have a chance to talk about Ellie’s works, their creation, and maybe what the future has in store for our writing.

  Facebook Reader Group: The EDGE

  Thank you so much for your support!

  Love,

  Jet & Ellie

  Amazon Links Also by Ellie Masters

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  The One I Want Series

  By Jet & Ellie Masters

  each book in this series can be read as a standalone and is about a different couple with an HEA.

  Aiden & Ariel

  Brent & Brie

  Caleb & Caitlyn

  Dax & Dani

  The Angel Fire Rock Romance Series

  each book in this series can be read as a standalone and is about a different couple with an HEA.

  Ashes to New (prequel)

  Heart’s Insanity (book 1)

  Heart’s Desire (book 2)

  Heart’s Collide (book 3)

  Hearts Divided (book 4)

  Romantic Suspense

  She’s MINE

  Twist of Fate

  The Starling

  Redemption

  HOT READS

  Changing Roles Series:

  Book 1: Command

  Book 2: Control

  Book 3: Collar

  Off Duty

  Nondisclosure

  Down the Rabbit Hole

  Becoming His Series

  Book 1: The Ballet

  Book 2: Learning to Breathe

  Book 3: Becoming His

  Sweet Contemporary Romance

  Finding Peace

  ~AND~

  Science Fiction

  Ellie Masters writing as L.A. Warren

  Vendel Rising: a Science Fiction Serialized Novel

  About the Author

  ELLIE MASTERS is a multi-genre and best-selling author, writing the stories she loves to read. These are dark erotic tales. Or maybe, sweet contemporary stories. How about a romantic thriller to whet your appetite? Ellie writes it all. Want to read passionate poems and sensual secrets? She does that, too. Dip into the eclectic mind of Ellie Masters, spend time exploring the sensual realm where she breathes life into her characters and brings them from her mind to the page and into the heart of her readers every day.

  Ellie Masters has been exploring the worlds of romance, dark erotica, science fiction, and fantasy by writing the stories she wants to read and was finally able to rope JET MASTERS into sharing her passion for romantic stories. When not writing, Jet & Ellie can be found outside off-roading, riding ATVs, scuba diving, hiking, and breathing fresh air.

  They have lived all over the United States—east, west, north, south and central—Ellie grew up under the Hawaiian sun while Jet grew up under the California sun.

  FOR MORE INFORMATION

  WWW.ELLIEMASTERS.COM

  Connect with Ellie Masters

  Website

  Amazon Author Page

  Bookbub

  Facebook

  Reader’s Group

  Twitter

  Goodreads

  Instagram

  Brent & Brie

  Sneak Peak

  Brie

  Brie Hamilton powered behind Hurricane Julian’s fury in a seventy-foot luxury yacht. A category five monster, Julian tore up the Gulf, ripping at least one oil rig off its anchors and flooding coastal towns from New Orleans, Louisiana to Panama City, Florida.

  “You eager to get to Tampa?” Aiden Cole sat beside her and munched on his sandwich. He brought her lunch. It sat untouched beside her as she navigated the channel markers into Tampa’s harbor.

  During the twelve-day journey from Rio de Janeiro to Tampa, her crew encountered several squalls, one violent storm, and trailed behind Julian’s passing. Julian cost them a day’s worth of travel. They lost another day rescuing Aiden and his men.

  “More than eager,” she said. “We’re behind schedule.”

  “Is that a problem?” He stared out toward the channel markers, a wistful expression on his face.

  “It’s never good.” She would lose her on-time arrival bonus.

  “You do this all the time? Relocate boats from Rio to the states?”

  “Yeah.” She’d been hired to relocate a wealthy client’s yacht, Chastity’s Dream, from its berth in Rio de Janeiro to Tampa. With the storm and the rescue, her ten-day voyage stretched out to twelve and her on-time arrival bonus went down the drain.

  “Chastity’s Dream…” He gave a slow blink. “Is it a play on names?”

  “Could be, but the client’s daughter is Chastity. I’m not sure if he’s that clever.”

  Aiden cracked a smile. “Well, Chastity is a rough name for a girl.”

  “I bet.”

  “My girl is still busy with princesses and unicorns. I’m not going to be ready for boys or what comes next.” He wiped at the corner of his mouth, trying to hide his smirk.

  “I bet you’re eager to see her.”

  “After a week bobbing at sea?” He straightened in his seat. “You bet. Can’t thank you enough for fishing us out of the water.”

  Aiden and his men had been on that ill-fated oil rig which capsized during Julian’s rampage. They barely managed to escape into their lifeboat when a mega wave slammed into the superstructure.

&n
bsp; “Hey, we talked about that. You can’t keep thanking us.”

  “Well, when the transponder failed to activate, I got worried. After a couple days, we were concerned. After a week...Well, let’s just say, we were really glad you found us.”

  “I’m glad Juan saw your lifeboat.” She smiled. “There’s not as much boat traffic out here as you’d think. You could have been stuck for weeks.”

  “Then I’ll say thank you as many times as I want.”

  “I suppose so. I can’t imagine being in one of those lifeboats, let alone for a week.”

  Aiden looked nothing like the haggard, seasick, and dehydrated man who emerged out of the red torpedo lifeboat less than a day ago. They towed it behind them, a constant reminder of the what they’d endured.

  “Duncan and Randall are good men, but yeah…” He rubbed at his jaw. “A week crammed in that thing together was rough.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Bonus was getting fished out by a yacht. Much better than the tin can accommodations of a freighter. You’ll have to thank the owner for the hospitality.” Aiden took another bite of his sandwich and lifted the plate containing hers. “And the food. You should eat.”

  “Thanks.” She grabbed her sandwich. Speaking around a bite, she made a vague gesture toward land. “How is your daughter going to handle your plans to propose to a woman she’s never met?” She gave him a wink.

  “I’m not worried. Callie is going to love Ariel.” Aiden talked nonstop about the courageous helicopter pilot who evacuated his injured men off the rig.

  Brie couldn’t help but smile, but it was quickly followed by a frown. The love bug had bit Aiden bad. As someone with nothing but a string of failed relationships behind her, she’d given up on love. Happiness could be found on the open seas. Relocating mega yachts across the globe might sound lonely, but it was her dream come true.

  “What about Ariel? Does she know you have a daughter?”

  His eyes lit up. Anytime he talked about the helicopter pilot his entire demeanor brightened. Brie wished there was a man who loved her half as much as Aiden loved Ariel.

  “She does, and I can’t wait to tell Callie about the proposal.” He had talked Brie’s ear off about how best to propose. She wished she could be there just to see the woman’s reaction.

  “After I see Callie and tell her about Ariel, I’m doing it.” A grin split his face and joy shined out of his eyes. “By the way, when we hit dock and I forget to say thank you again, just know that I am truly thankful.“

  She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Ariel is one lucky girl. We should be docked within the hour, and don’t forget you promised me pictures of the wedding.”

  “Actually, I’d love if you came to the wedding.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you. It would mean a lot to me if you came.”

  She didn’t know about that, but found herself agreeing with a nod.

  Aiden stood and scanned the horizon. “I’m going to grab Duncan and Randal.” He left her to navigate the final channel markers alone.

  In less than an hour, they said their final goodbyes along with another round of Thank You’s to her crew. She waved as Aiden and his men walked down the long pier with an escort of company officials and Coast Guard investigators. A toppled oil rig was no small matter. They had red tape to attend to before heading home to reunite with loved ones.

  Her first mate helped her secure the boat and she notified their employer they had arrived. The rest of the crew had another billet waiting in Rio de Janeiro and a flight to catch, which left her alone for the first time in nearly two weeks.

  She tilted her head and took in a deep breath. It was time for a drink.

  Brent

  “What the hell, Gus?” Brent Calloway slammed his mug down on the counter. “What do you mean you can’t captain for me? We’re supposed to ship out at first light. You can’t leave me high and dry like this.”

  His time table didn’t allow for delays. Stopping the operation to find a suitably licensed captain could take days, if not weeks, and by then it would be too late. It was time to take advantage of Hurricane Julian’s work. Storms of that magnitude moved massive amounts of sand beneath the waves as they swept up the Gulf. He hoped enough sand had shifted to expose what a lifetime of research said would be there, but he had to get there now. Not weeks from now.

  “Like I said,” Gus gave an overly dramatic sigh. “My doc says no-go. Can’t ship out.” Gus had already tied on four too many beers and stared back at Brent with bleary eyes. He thumped his chest. “My ticker needs help.”

  His liver would need even more help at the rate Gus pounded the beer.

  “But can’t you postpone your appointment for a week, or two?” Brent flinched at the whine in his voice and cleared his throat.

  All he needed were a couple days to sail down to the Keys, a week exploring for the wreck, and if he scored the find of a lifetime, a few days pulling up nearly a billion dollars in gold bullion.

  Gus’s heart wasn’t that sick. Was it? Although, if Gus died while on Brent’s ship, there would be hell to pay.

  “Nope.” Gus took another swig. “Gotta do the stress test tomorrow, and depending on that… ” Gus leaned forward; his expression dour. “Doc thinks I need to go under the knife.”

  Brent cursed. Luck favored the prepared, and he had spent a lifetime getting ready for this moment. Now Gus left him hanging because of a bad heart?

  “You can’t back out.” He tried a different angle, and tried not to sound as desperate as he felt. At least he no longer sounded whiney. Maybe he could bully Gus into reconsidering? “We have a contract and you took an advance.”

  “We have an understanding.” Gus sucked down the last of his beer and gave a loud belch. He waved to the bartender. “Gimme another. And if it’s about the advance, I’ll give it back. No worries about me keeping what ain’t mine.”

  “You gave your word.” He tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, but from the wide-eyed stares of those at the end of the bar, he failed miserably to do so.

  A beat-up shack, The Tipsy Pickle, teetered on pylons driven into the basin of the marina decades ago. The place barely passed health inspection, and probably only with a healthy exchange of under the table cash. Paint flaked off the weathered exterior, not to mention stale beer and dried up piss created a pungent atmosphere inside. But the alcohol was cheap and the food amazingly good.

  He was surprised the Tipsy Pickle hadn’t been bought out, stripped down to the pylons, and rebuilt to attract a more up and coming crowd. Yuppies, hipsters, and Millennials loved their booze as much as anyone, and they didn’t blink twice at overinflated prices. The Tipsy Pickle did not attract that crowd, and as far as he was concerned sat on a goldmine.

  Not that you could tell from the thin and haggard crowd.

  Tired men hunched on dilapidated stools and propped weary elbows on tables worn smooth by decades of use. Half of the tables were occupied, most by individuals not interested in sharing their beer and food with others. Music crackled through tired speakers, creating enough sound to cover most conversation without drowning it out completely.

  A quick glance revealed no likely candidates for his sudden captain’s vacancy. These were dockworkers and deckhands. He needed a licensed commercial boat captain to pilot his research rig down to the Keys.

  “What the hell am I going to do? You can’t leave me hanging. Don’t you know anyone who can step up?”

  The door banged open, letting in a sliver of light. By habit, he looked to see who had entered.

  Like something out of a movie, light spilled around the slender form of a woman, putting all her curves on display; and what amazing curves they were. Trim and toned, the woman had amazing tits, a tiny waist, and hips a man could grab hold of and pound himself into oblivion. He couldn’t help but gape. Not alone in his admiration, every head in the bar swiveled to fix on the apparition.

  Head lifted, the
woman paused at the doorway and scanned the interior. After seeing who was inside, he thought she would run from the rough crowd, but the woman didn’t hesitate. With an effortless grace, she glided across the floor; an ethereal creature, she made a beeline for the bar.

  She picked her path with care, avoiding the occupied tables, and headed to a group of empty stools a few seats down from him and Gus. When her gaze met his, she smiled and it was like a choir of angels lifted in song. The soft cushions of her lips parted and her tiny pink tongue darted out. He couldn’t help the natural reaction of his body and adjusted his perch on the stool.

  What stunning lips.

  Perky and raspberry red, he debated his next move as all manner of filth ran through his mind.

  With a face cut right from the pages of a men’s magazine, all present tracked her passage. Even after she sat on the stool, all eyes remained glued to her stunning figure. If any were like him, they wondered what she might look like spread out on the cover of the annual swimsuit edition, or better yet, stretched out naked in bed.

  When she glanced at him, blue eyes like a calm summer sea gave a slow languid blink. Her wavy brown hair, cut short at the shoulders, shimmered despite the dim lighting of the bar. She gave her hair a casual flick and his heart fluttered. Her eyes narrowed as she peered through the dimly lit bar, staring directly at him, then a spark of recognition flew and a smile curved those cherry red lips. She slipped off her stool and came toward him.